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Automated summaries of top Hacker News stories written by a large language model.
The Vision Pro
The author of the web content is reviewing the Apple Vision Pro, a VR/AR headset with eye-tracking controls. They describe it as a combination of a headset, a spatial computing productivity platform, and a personal entertainment device. The author discusses the hardware, including the size and weight of the device, as well as the software and calibration process. They mention some concerns, such as the need for an external battery pack and the weight of the device. The author also mentions that the Vision Pro is not suitable for fitness-related activities. Despite its flaws, the author believes that the Vision Pro is a significant step in the era of spatial computing. (Summary based on 29% of story text.)
How to Add 10 Years to Your Life
The article discusses the concept of wasted time and its impact on our lives. The author shares their personal experience of realizing how much time they were wasting on activities like social media and email. They calculate the amount of time wasted over a lifetime and highlight the potential for using that time more productively, such as reading books, learning new skills, or spending time with loved ones. The author compares wasting time to slowly killing oneself and emphasizes the importance of being aware of how much time is being wasted. They provide steps for identifying and reducing wasted time, encouraging readers to reflect on the impact it has on their lives. The article concludes by suggesting that by reducing wasted time, one can add 10 years to their life.
YouTube-dl has been taken down
YouTube-dl, a popular tool used for downloading videos from YouTube, has been taken down following a ruling by the Hamburg Regional Court. Users attempting to access the website are now faced with an "Access denied" message. The controversy surrounding this takedown is not explicitly mentioned, but it is likely related to copyright infringement concerns. This news comes as a surprise to many who rely on YouTube-dl for various purposes, such as archiving videos or offline viewing. It remains to be seen how this decision will impact the availability and usage of YouTube-dl in the future.
Small biz owners scale back their office space or go remote altogether
The pandemic has caused many small business owners to reassess their office space needs. With the shift towards remote work and hybrid models, businesses are finding that they can operate with less physical space or even go completely remote. This trend is not only driven by cost savings but also by the changing preferences of clients who are more comfortable conducting business online or in informal settings like coffee shops. Some small business owners are opting for suburban locations or downsizing their office space to save on rent. Others are considering co-working spaces or giving up office space altogether. The pandemic has opened up new opportunities for small businesses to rethink their office needs.
Palworld's success is partially born from Pokémon fans' discontent
Palworld, a game that combines elements of Pokémon and survival gameplay, has achieved massive success with 1.5 million concurrent players on Steam. One factor contributing to its popularity is the frustration among Pokémon fans with the stagnation of the franchise. While recent Pokémon games have made some advancements, fans feel that there are still limitations and a lack of adult themes. Palworld offers a glimpse into an alternate reality where Pokémon games can be experimental and targeted at adults. The game also draws inspiration from other popular titles like Rust, Ark, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Despite its success, it remains to be seen if Palworld's grim take on Pokémon will have long-term appeal.
Why the AI Boom Is a Windfall for Tiny Anguilla
The tiny island of Anguilla in the Caribbean has found itself benefiting from the AI boom. In the late 1980s, Anguilla was assigned the .ai domain by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). Now, with the rising popularity of artificial intelligence, the country is registering website domains for AI companies, bringing in significant revenue. Vince Cate, a software developer and the founder of DataHaven.Net, manages the .ai domain for the Anguillan government. He explains how he ended up managing the domain and how the surge in AI interest has impacted the number of .ai domains being registered. The revenue from .ai registrations is approximately $3 million per month, which is being used to pay down debt and eliminate property taxes on residential buildings.
PayPal to Cut Around 2,500 Jobs
PayPal, the online payment giant, has announced plans to cut around 2,500 jobs as part of a restructuring effort. The company, which split from eBay last year, aims to streamline its operations and improve efficiency. The job cuts will primarily affect PayPal's customer support centers around the world. This move comes as PayPal faces increasing competition from other digital payment platforms such as Apple Pay and Google Wallet. The company hopes that these layoffs will help it adapt to the changing landscape of the industry and remain competitive.
ZX Fusion: A ZX Spectrum Implementation on an FPGA with Modern Peripherals
The ZX Spectrum was a popular personal computer released in 1982, but its hardware is now outdated and difficult to find. To address this, a hardware implementation of the ZX Spectrum, called ZX Fusion, was created using Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology. This allows the recreation of the ZX Spectrum's hardware and peripherals, such as a VGA monitor, SD card, and retro joysticks, while maintaining fidelity to the original system. The implementation was validated on the DE2-115 FPGA board and supports features like save-state functionality. The paper provides background information on the ZX Spectrum's architecture and previous attempts at recreating it, as well as details on the new reconfigurable architecture and the results obtained from the implementation. (Summary based on 27% of story text.)
Climate change has killed 4M people since 2000 – and that's an underestimate
Climate change has caused the deaths of approximately 4 million people globally since 2000, according to a commentary published in the journal Nature Medicine. This estimate is based on the McMichael standard, which was developed in the early 2000s and is still the only estimate of its kind. However, this number is likely an underestimate as it does not include deaths from diseases spread by mosquitoes, deadly bacteria, fungal spores, ticks, and other climate-related factors. The lack of mortality data, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, is a major obstacle to accurately assessing the death toll. Developing a universal climate mortality protocol using predictive modeling could provide a more accurate estimate and drive policy action.
The five Gaits of the Icelandic horse
The Icelandic horse is a gaited breed, meaning it has five gaits instead of the usual three. These gaits include the walk, trot, gallop, tölt, and flying pace. The tölt is a smooth and desirable gait that allows the horse to move faster and save energy. The flying pace is a fast two-beat gait where the horse glides in the air. The Vikings who settled in Iceland brought their best horses, and through selective breeding, the smooth gaits of the Icelandic horse were developed. It can take time and effort to train a horse to tölt, but for some, it comes naturally.
The Soviet 1801VM2 LSI-11 Processor
The Soviet-made 1801VM2 LSI-11 Processor, developed in 1982, is a binary-compatible implementation of the PDP11 instruction set and QBUS interface. It is a further development of the earlier 1801VM1, doubling the clock speed to 10 MHz. The 1801VM2 features expanded arithmetic instructions and operations from the floating point instruction set. It was manufactured at two factories, Angstrem and Solnechnogorsk Electromechanical Plant. The processor was used in various models of the DVK computer and the Romashka word processor. It was also used in the Soviet chess computer, Electronics IM-05. A radiation-hardened version, compatible with the 1806VM2, was introduced in 1990.
Young People Are Doing Better (Financially) Than You Think
The article challenges the common belief that younger generations are financially worse off than previous generations. It acknowledges the challenges faced by young people today, such as expensive college education and high housing costs. However, it highlights surprising statistics that show young people are actually doing better financially than expected. For example, one in four Gen Z adults already own a home, and millennials, Gen Z, and Gen X have similar homeownership rates to baby boomers at the same age. Additionally, young people today hold more wealth than previous generations at the same age. The article acknowledges that there are still struggles, but overall, young people are in a better financial position than commonly believed.
Block lays off close to 1,000 employees
Block, the financial tech company, has laid off close to 1,000 employees, according to a note from CEO Jack Dorsey. This is the second round of layoffs for the company in two months. Dorsey did not specify the exact number of employees affected but mentioned that the layoffs focused on workers at Cash App, Foundational, and Square. Dorsey stated that the company's operations were "getting leaner." The decision to conduct the layoffs all at once rather than spacing them out was made to be fair to both the individuals and the company. This adds to a year of heavy layoffs in the tech industry, with companies like Google and Amazon also making significant cuts.
Rent has never been less affordable, especially for the middle class
A new report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies reveals that rent has never been less affordable for both high and low-income tenants, with the middle class being hit the hardest. The number of "cost-burdened" renters, those spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs, reached a record 22.4 million in 2022, an increase of 2 million in just three years. Additionally, 12.1 million households had housing costs that exceeded 50 percent of their income, an all-time high for those with "severe burdens." The pandemic-era surge in housing costs affected renters across the board, with middle-class households experiencing the fastest rise. Despite rent growth cooling off, experts predict that rent costs will not return to pre-pandemic levels, further straining already-constrained budgets. The report highlights the lack of available units as a major factor contributing to the affordability crisis, as new construction often targets higher-end markets, leaving lower-cost units in disrepair or being sold for higher rents. While progress has been made in increasing the housing supply, the benefits are not expected to be felt equally across the rental spectrum. The report concludes that the housing market is unlikely to become more affordable in the near future.
Wine on Wayland: A year in review (and a look ahead)
In this article, Alexandros Frantzis reviews the progress made in 2023 for the Wayland driver for Wine and discusses plans for 2024. The Wayland driver has moved from the experimental phase to becoming a proper upstream component, allowing users to run Windows applications in a X11-free environment. The article highlights the features that have been implemented so far, such as basic window management, software rendering, mouse and keyboard support, Vulkan and Direct3D compatibility, and basic support for HiDPI. The article also mentions upcoming improvements, including emulation of display mode changes, OpenGL support, improved window positioning, and general bug fixes and code improvements. The author also mentions some desired features for the future, such as system DPI auto-detection and integration with Wayland color-management protocol. The article concludes by mentioning that there are already videos showcasing the progress made with the Wayland driver, allowing users to see the improvements firsthand.
Microsoft Cloud Strength Drives Second Quarter Results
Microsoft Corp. has announced its second-quarter results for the period ending December 31, 2023. The company reported revenue of $62.0 billion, an 18% increase compared to the same period last year. Operating income also increased by 33% to $27.0 billion. The strong performance was driven by the success of Microsoft's cloud services, with Microsoft Cloud revenue reaching $33.7 billion, a 24% increase year-over-year. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, highlighted the company's focus on applying AI at scale and its ability to win new customers across various sectors. Microsoft also completed the acquisition of Activision Blizzard during the quarter. (Summary based on 51% of story text.)
Google Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2023 Results [pdf](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39195796)
Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc., has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2023. The company reported strong fourth-quarter revenues of $86 billion, a 13% increase compared to the previous year. CEO Sundar Pichai expressed satisfaction with the performance of Google Search, YouTube, and Cloud, which have all benefited from the company's investments in AI and innovation. CFO Ruth Porat highlighted the company's commitment to re-engineering its cost base while supporting growth opportunities. The announcement also includes information on segment operating results, reductions in the workforce, and changes in the useful lives of servers and network equipment. (Summary based on 38% of story text.)
PayPal to lay off 9% of global workforce
PayPal CEO Alex Chriss has announced that the company will be laying off 9% of its global workforce, which amounts to around 2,500 jobs. The cuts will affect both existing roles and job listings that PayPal had planned to hire for, and will be implemented throughout the year. Chriss stated that the layoffs are necessary in order to drive more focus and efficiency, deploy automation, and consolidate technology to reduce complexity and duplication. Despite the layoffs, PayPal will continue to invest in areas of the business that it believes will create and accelerate growth. Last week, the company announced a push into artificial intelligence features, marking the first major announcement under Chriss.
Silicon Valley investors build $300B cash pile in startup funding crunch
Silicon Valley investors have managed to accumulate a staggering $300 billion cash pile amidst a funding crunch for startups. This surplus of funds highlights the resilience and financial strength of the tech industry, even in the face of economic uncertainty. The article does not mention any controversy or surprising elements.
Three ways we can fight deepfake porn
The article discusses the growing concern over deepfake porn and the efforts being made to combat it. The recent deepfake scandal involving Taylor Swift has prompted calls for legislative action in the US. Some states have already implemented bans on the creation and distribution of nonconsensual deepfake porn. A bipartisan bill has been reintroduced in Congress to make sharing fake nude images a federal crime. Similar efforts are being made globally, with the UK outlawing the sharing of deepfake porn and the EU introducing new bills to regulate the technology. China has gone the furthest by implementing strict laws on deepfake creation. While regulation offers victims recourse and holds creators accountable, enforcement may be challenging due to difficulties in identifying perpetrators and jurisdictional issues.
Mount Washington Cog Railway
The Mount Washington Cog Railway, also known as the Cog, is the world's first mountain-climbing cog railway. It climbs Mount Washington in New Hampshire, using a Marsh rack system and both steam and biodiesel-powered locomotives. The railway is approximately 3 miles long and has an average grade of over 25% and a maximum grade of 37%. It has a rich history, with construction starting in 1866 and the first paying customers riding in 1868. The railway has had a few accidents throughout its history, including a major one in 1967 that resulted in eight deaths. The Cog has been in continuous operation since 1869 and is a popular tourist attraction. (Summary based on 40% of story text.)
Adding type safety to object IDs in TypeScript
The author discusses the problem of adding type safety to object IDs in TypeScript. They initially create a type for an options object with a property that can accept an ID or a special value. However, this approach lacks autotype hints for the special value and does not provide type checking. The author suggests wrapping the special option in an object to solve this issue. They then introduce template literal types in TypeScript 4.1, which allows them to create a type specifically for IDs. This new approach provides type checking and autotype suggestions for the special options. The author also mentions the runtime benefits of using type safe IDs, such as detecting object types and easily identifying objects in logs.
PyTorch 2.2: FlashAttention-v2 integration, AOTInductor
PyTorch 2.2 has been released, offering several new features and improvements. One notable addition is the integration of FlashAttention-v2, which provides around 2x performance improvements to scaleddotproductattention. Another new feature is AOTInductor, an ahead-of-time compilation and deployment tool designed for non-python server-side deployments. PyTorch 2.2 also includes improved support for torch.compile, with optimizations for Optimizers and new inductor optimizations. Additionally, a new logging mechanism called TORCHLOGS has been introduced. It is important to note that macOS x86 support is being deprecated in this release. The release also includes updates to the PyTorch domain libraries.
Gitstr: Send and receive Git patches over Nostr
The Gitstr project is a tool that allows users to send and receive Git patches over Nostr, using NIP-34. It provides a way to easily exchange patches between repositories. Users can install Gitstr using Go or by downloading a binary. To receive patches, users need to initialize their repository with the relays specified using the git str init -r <relay> command. After receiving a patch, users can use the git str download command to fetch and store the patches. To send patches, users need to know the naddr1 code of the target upstream repository and use the git send <commit> command. The project also allows sending patches to repositories that haven't announced themselves. The author encourages users to contribute to the project by sending patches to a specific naddr1 code.
GitHub Actions: M1 macOS runner available to open source
The latest release of CodeQL, version 2.16.1, is now available for users of GitHub code scanning on github.com. This update includes important changes such as support for Swift 5.9.2 and the addition of new queries for Swift and Java to detect inappropriate password hashing algorithms and injection of environment variables. There have also been improvements in tracking flows from handler methods to Razor Page files. Additionally, JavaScript now supports doT templates and Go has added support for AWS Lambda functions and the fasthttp framework. A change in the measurement of scanned files in the Code Scanning UI has also been implemented. For a complete list of changes, refer to the changelog for version 2.16.1.
Show HN: Get notified when your desired Twitter handle is available
Handlespot.pro is a website that offers a service to notify users when their desired Twitter handle becomes available. With the recent announcement by Elon Musk that Twitter will be releasing unused handles, this service is a clever way for users to be prepared and secure their desired handle. This is particularly useful for individuals who may have missed out on their preferred handle in the past. The website provides a simple and convenient solution to stay updated and potentially claim a desired Twitter handle.
When I got started I debugged using printf() today I debug with print()
Summary: The author shares their personal experience with debugging, stating that they used to rely on the printf() function but now use the print() function. The tweet suggests that the author has transitioned from using a traditional debugging method to a more modern one.
Tear up unused parking lots and plant trees
The author suggests tearing up unused parking lots and replacing them with urban forests or developing them into something more useful. They propose conducting a "useless parking lot inventory" to identify impervious surfaces that are no longer needed or too large for their current use. The author highlights the overabundance of parking spaces, with at least four parking spaces for every car in the country. They argue that changes in how we live and work, such as the decline of malls and the rise of telecommuting, have reduced the need for parking lots. The author also mentions the impact of parking lots on human health and the environment.
The C Bounded Model Checker: Criminally Underused
The article discusses the use of the C Bounded Model Checker (CBMC) as an effective tool for checking the correctness of C code. The author highlights the ease of installation and use of CBMC, and provides examples of how it can be used to detect errors in C programs. The author also mentions that CBMC is actively developed on GitHub and is being used by Amazon for C project verification. The examples provided demonstrate how CBMC can detect assertion failures and uninitialized variables. Overall, the article emphasizes the usefulness and underutilization of CBMC as a static verifier for C code. (Summary based on 30% of story text.)
NYC bathhouse is mining Bitcoin to heat its pools
Bathhouse, a popular wellness hangout in Brooklyn, is secretly using Bitcoin mining units to power its heated pools. The spa, which charges customers up to $45 a day, was struggling with its high energy bills and decided to mine Bitcoin as a way to offset costs. The miners act as "fancy pool heaters" and generate cryptocurrency while providing heat for the pools. Bathhouse founders, Travis Talmadge and Jason Goodman, converted off-the-shelf Bitcoin miners for immersion cooling and use the heat generated to warm the pools. The founders believe that Bitcoin mining is a moral use of energy and plan to expand their bathhouse concept to other cities.